Groundbreaking set for Grammy Museum Mississippi

CLEVELAND — The Grammy Museum Mississippi expected to open in 2015 will showcase the state’s role in developing blues, country and genres that shaped American music.

Officials prepared to break ground Tuesday at the planned museum site, located at the south end of the Delta State University golf course, off of Mississippi Highway 8 in Cleveland.

The planned museum is scheduled to open in early summer 2015. It will have more than 20,000 square feet and will feature interactive exhibits.

Bob Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, said in a news release that for the past three years, the California museum has showcased Mississippi’s musical heritage during Grammy week events.

“The music born in Mississippi has shaped the development of popular music in America and beyond,” Santelli said in a news release. “The Grammy Museum Mississippi will help the rest of the world recognize Mississippi’s contribution to American music culture.”

Organizers say that over the past five years, $12.5 million has been raised for the $18 million project. That includes $3 million from the city of Cleveland and $1 million each from the state of Mississippi and Bolivar County.

Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves are among the speakers scheduled for the groundbreaking ceremony. The Mississippi-based Homemade Jamz Blues Band will perform.

Students at the Delta Music Institute at Delta State will be able to receive academic credit for hours they’ll work in the Grammy Museum Mississippi. They’ll also be able to participate in an exchange program sponsored by the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, along with college students from the Los Angeles area.